Circuit breaker control



Aug. ,1945- I R. o. BONINE; 2,381,254

CIRCUIT BREAKER CONTROL Filed Dec. 11, 1943 WITNESSES: INVENTOR fla w @140 a 5072156.

QW Q/W ATTORNEY I Patented Aug. 7, 1945 UNIT D STATES PATENT o -rlcs CIRCUIT Ralph 0. Bonine.

I CONTROL Edgcwood, Pa, slim to flectriccorporammtl'ittlcorporationoi Application December 11. 104:, Serial No. 513,838

a claim. (01. rat-cu).

'lhisinventionrelatestocircuitbreakersand.

-more particularly, to operating and tripping meansiorci'rcuithreakers.

Itis sometimes desirabletoprovidemeansi trippinzopenacircuitbreakeruponlossoivoltageinthecontrolcircuitorwhenthevoltageoi the control circuit falls below normal a predeoi arc furnaces a separate source of D. C. controlcurrentisusually'provided. Thissourcemay be derived from a generator, a large storage battel-y or any other suitable source. 'l'he control current in such installations, in addition to controllin'g' other translating devices. is utilised to control theelectrodesotthearciurnace. Inthe event or a loss oi voltage in the control circuit,

mumin the appended claims; The invention itself, however, both as to structure and operatermined amount. or example, in the operation or when the voltage 01 the control circuit ialls below a predetermined amount, the control of the r electrodes is interruptedand it is desirable to interruptthemaincircuitsupplyingthearcturnace. The instant invention provides improved means operable in response to a drop in voltageor loss of voltage in the control circuit to trip open the circuit interrupter which controls the main supp y of electrical energy.

Undervoltage trip devices usually employed to trip circuit breakers are provided with spring biased tripping in controlled by an-armature held by a voltage ve electromagnet. Upontheoccurrenceoia loss of voltage in the circuit,- the elet releasesthearmatureandthespringeflectstripping oi the breaker. Such devices are subject to release in response'to shocks and jarring forces, and are very diiiicult to adjust and to maintain in proper adjustment.

II which, when energized, eflects opening of the circuit breaker. The trip coil I1 is energized in response to 'abnormal conditions such as an. overload or short circuitin the loadline u by means of a protective relay is whose contacts-2i are connected in series relation with the trip coil l1 connected to circuit 23-25 which is energized from a suitable source oi. electrical energy. One

side of the trip coil I1 is connected to the conductor 23 by a wire 21. The other side of the trip coil is connected by means of a wire 2|,relay-contacts 2| and a wire 3| to theconductor 25. tends from the conductor 23 over the wire 21, the trip coill1,'wire 2!, contacts 2|, and wire Ii to the conductor 25. The source oi energy for the circuit 23-25 may be a storage battery, a motor generator, or the circuit may be energized from the circuit ii by means of a conventional transformer.

as Itwiilbe obviousthatenergizationoithepro- One object of the invention is to provide a circuit breaker having an improved capacitor trip device which will trip the breakerupon a lossoivoltage oruponapredetermineddropin voltageinthecontrolcircuit.

Anotherobiectoitheinventionistoprovidea circuit breaker having a trip device wherein the breakeristrippedopenin responsetooverload conditicnsinthecircuitcontroliedb thebrah erandwhichisprovidedwithacapacito'rtrip deviceiortrippingthebreakerinrespomctoa drop in voltagein the control- -circuit.

Anotherobjectoitheinventionistoprovide.

acircnitbreakerwithanimprovedtripdevice tcctive relay is in response to overload conditions on the load line will close the contacts 2|, :husenergizingthetripcoil l'ltotripthe q The under-voltage trip device which operates totripthebreakerinresponsetolossorredw -tion'or voltage in the control circuit a capacitor 33, a rectifier 35 connected in series with the capacitor 38 across the conductors 22-26, and an undervoltage relay 31. The cir- 'cuit for energizing the capacitor 33 extends from wherein thebreakeristrippedinresponsetoloss oivoltageinthecontrolcircuitbya capacitorthroughtheoverioad trip magnet.

Anotherobjecto!thein'ventionistoprovide acircuitbreakerwithanirnprcvedtripping means whichissimpieinreliable;

andeiiicientinoperatiommdinclpensiveto' acterlsticottheinventionuoset-firth'iqpav' ductor 2'.

the conductor 28 to one side or the capacitor ll,

through the rectifier", normally closed contacts ll of the undervoltage relay to the concircuit conductors 23-2. a

In operation, the control-voltage normally chargesthecapacitorfl throughthercctifler II which causes unidirectional voltage oi. the control circidttobeimpressedonthecapacitor.

'Upontheoccurrenoeofapredeterminedlcuor dropoi voltufle-in the controlcircuitIHLthe ottherelayllisreducedtoapdntwheretherclayactstoopenthecontaetsfland close contacts I. contacts a The circuit for energizing t e trill coil e!-' The coil of the undervoltage relay I1 is connected directly across the control 1 opens the charging circuit for the capacitor 33, and closing of the contacts 4| connects the capacitor in a circuit which discharges the capacitor through the .trip coil l1, thereby energizing the trip magnet and tripping the breaker. The circuit whereby the capacitor 33 energizes the trip coil ll extends from one side of the capacitor over a wire 43, contacts II, a wire 45, wire 29, trip coil II, wires 21 and 23 to the other side of the capacitor.

In the event of loss of voltage between the control circuit conductors "-25, the rectifier 35 prevents discharge of the capacitor beiore the trip magnet functions to trip the breaker. This is due to the fact that the, rectifier permits current to flow in one direction only thereby preventing discharge of the-capacitor through the contacts 30 during the brief interval between the loss of voltage across the control circuit 23-45 and the opening of the contacts I! and before the contacts ll close to connect the rectifier to the trip magnet.

When the control voltage is restored to normal value, or is increased above a predetermined value, the relay 81 picks up, opening the contacts ll and closing the contacts I! to recharge the capacitor.

A switch ll is provided for manually tripping the breaker open. The contacts oi the switch 41 when closed, shunt the protective relay contacis 2|, thus energizing the trip coil I! from the conductors 23-25 to trip the breaker.

Having described the invention in accordance with the patent statutes, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from some of the essential features 01' the invention. It is, therefore; desired that the language or the appended claims be given as reasonably broad interpretation as the prior art permits.

1 claim as my invention:

1. A control system for a circuit breaker having tripping means, comprising a control circuit, means operable in response to abnormal conditions in the circuit controlled by the breaker to cause mergization of said tripping means, a capacitor energized by said control circuit, and means responsive to predetermined conditions in said control circuit for disconnecting said capacitor from the control circuit and causing said capacitor to discharge through the tripping means to thereby trip the breaker.

2. A control system for a circuit breaker havng tripping means, comprising a control circuit for ene gizing said tripping means, means responsive to predetermined abnormal conditions in the circuit controlled by the breaker to eii'ect energiration of said tripping means, a capacitor connected to be energized by said control circuit. and voltage responsive means operable in esponse to predetermined voltage conditions in the control circuit to disconnect said capacitor from the control circuit and to connect said capacitor across said tripping means to thereby eiiect trip ing oi' the breaker.

3. A circuit breaker system comprising a circuit breaker, electroresponsive trip means operable when energized to trip the breaker, a control circuit for energizing said electroresponsive trip means, means responsive to predetermined conditions in the circuit controlled by the breaker for eiiecting energization of said electroresponsive trip means from said control circuit, a capacitor normally connected to said control circuit to be charged thereby, and means responsive to predetermined conditions in said control circuit to disconnect said capacitor from said control circuit and to cause said capacitor to energize said electroresponsive trip means.

4. A circuit breaker' system comprising a circuit breaker, electroresponsive trip means for tripping saidbreaker, a control circuit for energizing said electroresponsive means, means responsive to predetermined abnormal conditions in the circuit controlled by the breaker for effecting energization of said electroresponsive trip.

means, a capacitor connected to be energized by said control circuit, and a. transfer switch operable in response to predetermined conditions in the control circuit to disconnect said capacitor from the control circuit and to efl'ect energization of said electroresponsive trip means by said capacitor.

cuit and to connect said capacitor to effect energization of said electromagnet irrespective of the condition of the'circuit controlled by the circuit breaker.

6. A control system for a circuit breaker comprising electroresponsive. means operable when energized to trip-the breaker, an energizing circuit separate from the circuit controlled by the breaker for energizing said electroresponsive means, means operable in response to overload conditions in the circuit controlled bythe breaker to cause energization of said electroresponsive means, energy storing means normally energized by the voltage of said energizing circuit, and means responsive to predetermined voltage conditions in the energizing circuitto disconnect said energy storing means from said energizing circuit and to connect said energy storing device to said electroresponsive means.

7. A control system for a circuit breaker hav-- ing tripping means, comprising a control circuit, means operable in response to abnormal conditions in the circuit controlled by the breaker to eiiect-energization oi! said tripping means, electrical energy storing meansenergized by said control circuit, and means responsive to predetermined conditions in said control .circuit to disconnect said energy storing means from the control circuit and to cause said energy storing means to energize the tripping means.

8. In combination, a circuit breaker having operating means and a trip device for tripping the breaker, a circuit for energizing said trip device, control means operable to connect said trip 

